Jantar Mantar Jaipur

Jantar Mantar is one of the oldest astronomical observatories featuring the world’s largest stone sundial, located in the heart of Jaipur. It is no longer a working science center but is maintained as a monument, and education activity sessions, guided tours and music and light shows, are organized here. Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is one of the largest observatories in the world, comprising of remarkable stone assemblies that help to interpret the position of celestial bodies and calculate local time. Enumerated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Jantar Mantar attracts tourists, historians, astronomers, architects, mathematicians, and geographers. The collection of nineteen astronomical instruments in Jantar Mantar allows the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye. The monument is an exemplification of architectural innovations that was built on ideas from different religious and social beliefs in 18th-century India.

Jantar Mantar, Jaipur History
Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is a fascinating astronomical observatory, located at the heart of the city. This is one of the largest observatories in the World, comprising of interesting stone structures that help to interpret the position of celestial bodies and calculate local time. Enumerated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Jantar Mantar in Jaipur attracts architects, mathematicians, geographers and historians.

Jantar Mantar, Jaipur was constructed by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, and he built 5 such observatories in different parts of the country: Jaipur, Mathura, Delhi, Ujjain, and Varanasi. The one in Jaipur is the largest of all, whereas the one in Mathura is almost in ruins, now. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II is the founder of Jaipur city and a potential ruler of Amber region. Along with his political expertise, he was also a scholar in physics, mathematics, and astronomy. During his reign, he was commissioned by Emperor Muhammad Shah to rectify astronomical calculations in Islamic zij tables. To accomplish this task, he gathered astronomical data from European and Persian nations and studied and interpreted the same.

After extensive research and studying the gathered data, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II constructed stone made instruments to determine the position of planetary bodies and measure time. Jaipur Jantar Mantar was built between 1728-1734 and its stone instruments are considered to be more accurate than others.